Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 kg pork belly, cut into 2-3 cm or 3/4-1 1/4″ cubes (you can use up to 1.5 kg/3.3 lb of pork belly for this recipe)
- 1 whole bulb of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 red onions, diced roughly (brown onions are fine too)
- 1 thumb-sized knob of ginger, sliced and cut into thin matchsticks
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup tamari or all-purpose soy sauce
- 1 tsp Chinese five-spice
- 2 star anise
- 2 cups water
- Sliced chilli (optional)
- Rice and greens, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet and cook the pork belly in batches for 5-8 minutes until browned and golden. Set aside.
- Add the garlic, onions and ginger to the same pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened and fragrant. Don’t worry about cutting the ingredients too finely; they will break down in the delicious, sticky sauce.
- Add the brown sugar, tamari (or all-purpose soy sauce), Chinese five-spice, star anise and water. Return to the pork to the pan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, turn down to the lowest heat, place the lid on and cook for 2 hours. Check halfway and add 1/2 cup of water if the sauce is sticking to the base of the pan. The sauce will be thin but will caramelise in the last 10 minutes of the cooking time.
- Once cooked, the pork should easily break apart with a fork. If not, cook in 15-minute intervals until soft, adding ¼ cup of water as needed.
- Once the pork is soft, remove the lid and turn the heat to high for 5-10 minutes to let the sauce thicken. It is ready when the sauce is sticky and coats the pork.
- Garnish with sliced chilli and serve with steamed rice and steamed greens.
Notes
MAKE AHEAD
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 2 months, ensuring the pork is well covered in the sticky broth to prevent freezer burn. Best thawed completely overnight in the fridge before use. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of boiling water to help loosen the sauce.
LEFTOVERS
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 2 months, ensuring the pork is well covered in the sticky broth to prevent freezer burn. Best thawed completely overnight in the fridge before use. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of boiling water to help loosen the sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 2 hours 40 mins
- Category: pork belly, slow cooker, braised pork belly, slow cooked pork
- Method: pan sear, slow cook
- Cuisine: Asian